With a pea, 20 mattresses, and a princess nicknamed Fred, Colonel By Secondary School’s rendition of Once Upon A Mattress was delightful!

Once Upon A Mattress is a musical comedy with a breathtaking score by Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer. It opened on Broadway in 1959, and re-tells the beloved tale of The Princess and The Pea. Set during the medieval times in a far-off kingdom, the play follows the lives of a royal family composed of the cursed King Sextimus the Silent, the terrifying Queen Aggravain, and the puppy-eyed Prince Dauntless. Dauntless dreams of finding a princess, but thanks to his mother, the task is difficult. Every princess has to take a challenging test, causing all of Dauntless’s possible brides to fail. This result changes when Sir Harry, a knight, returns from his quest of finding a princess for Dauntless. He has with him Winnifred the Woebegone, most notably portrayed by Carol Burnett and Sarah Jessica Parker, whose daring and adventurous ways change their lives forever.

One of the major stars of the show was the ensemble. In every song and scene, all performers were constantly in character, and had impressive reactions. Nina Jeffery was especially convincing as the endearing Princess #12.

As the feisty Winnifred, Charlotte Rodgers, with her solid mezzo belt, was outstanding. She created a self-assured and humorous Winnifred that makes society rethink the meaning of the term “princess”. From her first to last appearance, Rodgers had consistent, strong characterization and infectious energy. She commanded the stage with her powerful presence and supreme comic timing. Opposite her was Francis Coulombe, who created an innocent yet equally determined Prince Dauntless. Coulombe’s face was always vibrant with cheery and wide-eyed expressions, demonstrating the curiosity Dauntless undergoes during the show.

Emily Wong as the vengeful Queen Aggravain was deviously evil, spawning the perfect antagonist. Her husband, King Sextimus the Silent (Matthew McGuire), shone with his effortless physicality and clear, witty pantomimes: specifically during “Man to Man Talk”. He, along with the beautifully voiced Minstrel (Georgia Gibbons) and Jester (Maria Garcia), enraptured the stage with their pitch perfect “The Minstrel, the Jester and I”. Garcia’s heart-warming interpretation of “Very Soft Shoes” was also a standout, proving her to be a true storyteller. The musical’s starry-eyed lovers, Lady Larken (Hannah El-Emam), with her sweet soprano voice, and Sir Harry (Cole Crossett), captured hearts in their stirring duets, thanks to their chemistry and lovely harmonies.

Using a variety of textures and fabric, Molly Wilkes and Jenna Reid created a colourful array of costumes. Every wardrobe item was intricate and unique, displaying a breathtaking representation of the medieval times. Sets were as impressive, transporting the audience back into the Middle Ages. A gothic backdrop set the atmosphere for the entirety of the show, with many other effective pieces embellishing the stage throughout the run. The lighting captured it all and combined the wonderful work of costumes and sets to create magic onstage.

Colonel By Secondary School’s production of Once Upon a Mattress was much more than the fairy tale of a simple pea resting under a bed. It was a coming of age tale that resonated with valuable lessons in human nature, whether it is growing up, letting go, or the depths humanity will go to in the search for love. All in all, Colonel By’s interpretation of Once Upon a Mattress was exuberant and an enjoyable night of theatre.

With hilarious allusions, beautiful costumes, and brilliant sets, Colonel By Secondary School’s performance of Once Upon a Mattress by Mary Rodgers was a breath of fresh, stagnant, swamp air. A perfect blend of a mute king, a babbling queen, and a sneaky jester, this production told the “real story” of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea.

Once Upon a Mattress is set in a medieval kingdom ruled by the devious Queen Aggravain and King Sextimus the Silent. Despite his attempts to reverse it, the King is still under a curse causing him to be mute. Under the Queen’s rule, no one in the kingdom is permitted to marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, is married. However, she makes this an impossible task by testing all the princesses in the land and deeming them unfit for her son. When Princess Winnifred arrives at the castle, she proves to not be very much of a “genuine bona fide princess” but rather, an awkward, clumsy and unrefined girl who is so eager to enter the castle that she “swam the moat.” Nonetheless, Prince Dauntless falls in love with this “girl named Fred” immediately. While Fred tries her best to study for the Queen’s impossible test, the Queen devises a plan to test her sensitivity – a tiny pea beneath twenty thick downy mattresses. If Winnifred is unable to sleep due to the pea, the Queen will deem her worthy to marry Dauntless.

The cast gave an extremely vibrant and engaging performance from start to finish. Each character was distinctly animated and delivered with outstanding enthusiasm. The Minstrel (Georgia Gibbons) welcomed us into the fairy-tale with impeccable vocals, dialogue, and characterization. Her story telling enraptured the audience with a meticulous and expressive performance. King Sextimus the silent (Matthew McGuire) delivered a flawless performance of energetic charades, perfectly depicting the exuberant king. His movements were consistent and his personality was easily defined, despite his inability to speak. The Jester (Maria Garcia) drove the plot steadily and allowed for many amusing moments, even when not in the spotlight. Garcia’s entire body was engaged in her character with a fantastic delivery of energetic body movements, dialogue and a lovable sense of humour. Charlotte Rodgers wonderfully embodied her role as Princess Winnifred with ease, capturing both her awkwardness and enthusiasm in unison. Princess “Fred” was able to not only capture the heart of Prince Dauntless but the audience as well, with powerful vocals that lingered in the room even after she had exited.

Emily Wong (F), performs as Queen Aggravain, Matteo Ferrara Vodicka (R), performs as Wizard, during Colonel By Secondary School’s Cappies production of Once Upon A Mattress, on March 3, 2017.Lukas Romsicki /
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The costumes by Jenna Reid and Molly Wilkes were impeccably created with special attention to detail and vibrancy. Each costume was functional and beautiful, allowing the audience to be transported back to the medieval ballroom. The sets, designed by Leah Grundison, Charlotte Rodgers, and Josephine Ding, were meticulously constructed. Each backdrop and set piece had immense detail, such as books and potions on a shelf, or brick cracks in the wall.

This lovable tale of first loves, enchantments, and laughs left no space unfilled. Attention to detail was evident in every area of the show. With the help of many satirical jokes and allusions, this humour-filled production would indeed make Mary Rodgers proud. From the moment the Minstrel began the tale, to Fred and Dauntless’s “Happily Ever After”, the cast and crew delivered a fantastic performance that was both delightful and intriguing.

The story of the Princess and the Pea is famous; a dainty princess, a tiny pea and a stack of mattresses lead to a story of true love. However, Colonel By Secondary School took the classic tale and gave it a fresh and exciting new spin, where everything was not quite as the fairy-tale suggests. The cast and crew gave an outstanding performance of a timeless story, filled with spirit, energy and talent.

Once Upon A Mattress tells the tale of a controlling and nasty queen, who does not want her beloved son, Prince Dauntless, to marry. She deems princesses unworthy of his hand with ridiculous and impossible tests, but there is a catch; no other in the land may marry until the prince does. All hope seems lost until a princess of the swamp, Princess Winnifred, is brought to the castle. But she is not as dainty as the fairy-tale recounts. With the help of a mute king, a jester and a minstrel, the classic love story unfolds in a not-so-classic manner.

With talented performers, a skilled crew and an overall animated cast, Colonel By’s production of Once Upon A Mattress was a captivating performance from start to finish. The chemistry of the actors on stage was palpable, and the sheer enthusiasm infused into every aspect of the show made it truly enthralling.

Georgia Gibbons (L), performs as Minstrel, Hannah El-Emam (2ndFL), performs as Lady Larken, Matthew McGuire (2ndFR), performs as King Sextimus, Maria Garcia (R), performs as Jester, during Colonel By Secondary School’s Cappies production of Once Upon A Mattress, on March 3, 2017.Lukas Romsicki /
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Charlotte Rodgers shone as Princess Winnifred, or Fred, as she preferred to be called. Her acting was incredibly consistent. Even when she was not the focus of the scene, she completely embodied her character. Rodgers truly seemed like the unorthodox princess from the swamp throughout her entire performance. Her vocals were also remarkably powerful and strong, and she never strayed from her character, even while singing, dancing and being lifted into the air. Francis Coulombe also gave an energetic and hilarious performance as the goofy and gullible Prince Dauntless. His facial expressions and body language sold his performance as the wacky and innocent prince.

Emily Wong and Matthew McGuire gave hilarious and commanding performances as the vile Queen Aggravain and silent, but flirtatious King Sextimus. Wong epitomized the talkative queen; with an abrasive accent and melodramatic actions, she truly sold the performance. Alongside her was McGuire as the mute king, who, despite not speaking a word, had an astounding and comical stage presence. Another strong performer was Hannah El-Emam, who played Lady Larken. Her vocals were unmatched and she played the dainty lady with skill. No medieval court would be complete without a jester, played by Maria Garcia. Garcia gave a lively and exuberant performance as she jumped and skipped around the stage.

Every musical needs a few dance numbers, and the choreography, done by Ava Crossett and her team, pulled the show together. Even with the entire cast on stage, each routine looked clean and well rehearsed. The lighting, done by Edward Yang, also added great mood and atmosphere to the show, with spotlights, interesting colours and expertly timed cues. Even the costumes seemed authentic to medieval times, put together by Molly Wilkes and Jenna Reid and their crew. The majority of the costumes were hand-sewn, and with a large cast, each costume still looked exquisite.

From beginning to end, Colonel By Secondary School gave an energetic performance of a nostalgic story. The cast and crew served as a reminder that with a few twists, even an old tale can learn new tricks.

Everybody’s heard of The Princess and the Pea, the story of a girl who is proven to be a real princess by the sensitivity test of a single pea placed under a tower of mattresses upon which she sleeps. This children’s story is flipped on its head in Colonel By Secondary School’s retelling of what actually happened when a princess arrived at a castle on a not so dark-and-stormy day in its production of Once Upon a Mattress.

This musical comedy adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale, Once Upon a Mattress, originally opened in 1959. The visiting Minstrel tells the story of a kingdom with a strange set of rules. No one may marry until the prince himself does. After twelve princesses fail the evil queen’s tests of royalty, a knight is sent out in search of a proper princess. The girl he brings back is a little more rough-and-tumble than everyone expected, and despite her son’s pleas for her to stay, the queen wants to get rid of her. She comes up with the test of the pea to prove that this girl isn’t sensitive enough to be a true princess.

With a set that extended beyond the limits of the stage, this production transported the audience back to the 15th century. High-energy dance and vocals were a constant throughout. There were many instances of great physical comedy that allowed all the characters, even King Sextimus the silent (Matthew McGuire), to have over-the-top, interesting and engaging personalities. Even the ensemble members brought their own unique characteristics to the production through constant, in-character facial expressions and gestures.

Charlotte Rodgers performs as Princess Winnifred, during Colonel By Secondary School’s Cappies production of Once Upon A Mattress, on March 3, 2017.Lukas Romsicki /
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The Minstrel (Georgia Gibbons) and the Jester (Maria Garcia) were a hilarious and captivating duo. The Minstrel opened by interacting with the audience throughout the opening number and set the stage for the performance. The Jester skilfully played both goofy and serious moments. She displayed great endurance, bouncing around the stage while also singing multiple solo parts. Charlotte Rogers played a non-traditional princess, Princess Winnifred, with obvious passion. Her chemistry with the childish Prince Dauntless (Francis Coulombe) was clear, and they formed a wide-eyed, optimistic pair. Princess Winnifred’s belt tunes were executed very well and with great consistency. As Queen Aggravain, Emily Wong was the typical evil queen character. Her presence had great magnitude, especially through her singing.

Lady Larken’s (Hannah El-Emam) sweet singing voice and virtuous personality brought the side story about a couple waiting to marry to the forefront of the audience’s mind whenever she was on stage. The Nightingale of Samarkand (Angela Petrakos) provided humour to the scene where Princess Winifred is trying to sleep despite the lumps in her bed.

The large set pieces present on stage throughout the show were painted with great detail, and they transformed the stage into a castle of the 400s. The costumes were realistic and extraordinarily detailed. The dresses worn by much of the female cast were adorned with details like laced backs and metallic embellishments. There were a few instances of interference with the microphones, but the cast had strong projection, insuring that no lines were missed. A reverb effect during one of the scenes provided the sensation of drowsiness and passing time during a long night.

Colonel By Secondary School’s production of Once Upon a Mattress was magical and engaging. The large high-energy cast and the attention to detail by the crew provided a lively and believable atmosphere.

The well known theme of “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” is one that Colonel By Secondary School’s Once Upon A Mattress truly pushed to the forefront, asking us to put aside our prejudices and meet a princess that has a big heart and an eccentric personality.

The famous story of The Princess and the Pea written by Hans Christian Andersen was taken and twisted to produce the musical Once Upon A Mattress, created by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, Dean Fuller, and Mary Rodgers. This tale tells the story of a medieval town under the rule of Queen Aggravain, who has decreed that no one shall get married until Prince Dauntless has married. This has been a difficult task as the queen has already rejected 12 princesses for ludicrous and nonsensical reasons. As the kingdom begins to give up hope of another princess coming, Sir Harry discovers Princess Winnifred, “Fred”, the Woebegone, an eccentric and frank princess, in hopes that Prince Dauntless, an obedient and innocent mother’s boy, can marry and the order can be lifted. The question now is whether Fred can pass the queen’s difficult test.

Colonel By Secondary School’s rendition of Once Upon A Mattress was creative in its look and feel, from the costumes and sets to the lighting and makeup. The array of vastly different characters was portrayed to their full potential, conspiring and clashing with each other, to create a round performance of this beloved and acclaimed play.

Charlotte Rodgers’ portrayal of the kooky Winnifred was astounding, thanks to her large stage presence and powerful vocals. Fred’s quirky and determined personality was performed amazingly well, due to Rodger’s stellar and fluid delivery. Rodgers’ singing in “Shy” and “Happily Ever After” was captivating, hitting every note. Rodgers commendably pulled off the challenge of singing and dancing with ease and enthusiasm. Francis Coulombe’s performance as Prince Dauntless was splendid, with his child-like charisma that added a touch of humour to any scene that he was in. Coulombe’s vocal performance in “Opening for a Princess”, “Song of Love”, and “Man to Man Talk” was perfect, with his comedic timing that matched with the emotions in the scene.

Francis Coulombe (L), performs as Prince Dauntless, Emily Wong (R), performs as Queen Aggravain, during Colonel By Secondary School’s Cappies production of Once Upon A Mattress, on March 3, 2017.Lukas Romsicki /
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Matthew McGuire’s performance as the silent character of King Sextimus in the play was hilarious and admirable. Portraying a character’s personality without the use of words would be quite the challenge, but McGuire’s performance made the feat seem effortlessly easy. McGuire’s silent but exceptionally hysterical performance in “Man to Man Talk” was just that, exceptionally hysterical due to his witty visual gags and hiding behind Prince Dauntless’s gradual realization of what King Sextimus was telling him.

Looking at the vast amount of costumes that were wonderfully designed and sewn down by Molly Wilkes, Jenna Reid, and their crew to the very last stitch, it was clear from every ribbon, tassel and flourish that there was not a single square inch of fabric that was overlooked in the creation of the costumes. The lighting, done by Edward Yang, was stunningly well set to paint the tone of the scene, from the blue wash of light when Fred was going to sleep to the purple ambience of magic and sorcery of the wizard’s room.

With their masterful production down to every word, colour and note, Colonel By Secondary School’s ingenious production of Once Upon A Mattress has taught us to always be unapologetic of who we are, to be kind and understanding, and to stand up for those that we care about.

Matteo Ferrara Vodicka (L), performs as Wizard, Emily Wong (R), performs as Queen Aggravain, during Colonel By Secondary School’s Cappies production of Once Upon A Mattress, on March 3, 2017.Lukas Romsicki /
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Cole Crossett (L), performs as Sir Harry, Hannah El-Emam (R), performs as Lady Larken, during Colonel By Secondary School’s Cappies production of Once Upon A Mattress, on March 3, 2017.Lukas Romsicki /
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Ava Crossett (L), performs as Lady H, Georgia Gibbons (2ndFL), performs as Minstrel, Maria Garcia (2ndFR), performs as Jester, Andrew James (R), performs as Knight, during Colonel By Secondary School’s Cappies production of Once Upon A Mattress.Lukas Romsicki /
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About the reviews: The production at Colonel By Secondary School was reviewed by 34 critics representing 9 schools. The critic discussions were mentored by teacher Matthew John Minter of Earl of March Secondary School and student reviews were edited and selected for publication by teacher Wendy Gunter-Woods of Woodroffe High School, who could see only the reviews, not the names or schools of the reviewers.

Next review: Elmwood School’s production of Blue Stockings.

About the Cappies

The Citizen and 26 high schools are participating in the Cappies, a Washington, D.C.-based program that uses high school critics to review high school theatre. The program is a unique partnership between the Citizen, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Three schools from other boards in the region and two private schools have also joined. The four winners of the lead acting categories will receive a bursary provided by the international law firm Gowling WLG Canada LLP.

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